NCHS AP English Language

CH 4: Numinous and Counterpane

Numinous:
Numinous, from www.dictionary.com, means: spiritual or supernatural; surpassing comprehension or understanding; filled with or characterized by a sense of a supernatural presence. From Wikipedia, numen (plural: numina) is derived from Latin and means "nodding" but is also associated with meanings of "command" or "divine majesty." Numen is a term for deity and conveys a sense of immanence. Numen is also used to by sociologists to refer to the idea of a magical power residing in an object.

numinous: filled with the sense of the presence of divinity. [Lat. numen (spiritual force of a place/object/being)] In Christianity, God is everywhere, but there are certain places at certain times where the sense of God's presence, and its special-ness, is stronger than at other times and places. (There is also the sense of God's deliberate absence, which the Lord sometimes does to remind people of God's usual presence.)

Counterpane:
There is a symbolic element in every great literary work, which makes the author’s message more tangible and real to his readers. In Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, one such element is the idea of the “counterpane,” or tapestry, of humanity, that is woven throughout the story as a symbol of the world’s multiculturalism. (Edu Analysis) http://www.eduessays.com/Essays-x07027.htm

The counterpane is a bedspread or tapestry perhaps used to symbolize the "patchwork quilt" of humanity. Ishmael notices that Queequeg's arm and the counterpane they covered themselves with to sleep look very similar, since Queequeg has been all over the world sailing.

Parallel between chilhood and present experience: When Ishmael was a child, he experienced a supernatural hand placed over his own. He remembers this very vividly. In reality, it was probably just an illusion. When Ishmael awoke to find another arm placed over him, the memories came back, but he realized it was only Queequeg. These experiences parallel one another because both deal with the "numinous" in different times of Ishmael's life.

posted by Caroline Ward @ 8:02 AM